Miller Kelly J, Kennedy Jan E, Schwab Karen A
Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), 1335 East-West Hwy Ste. 6-100, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
San Antonio Military Medical Center MCHE MDU, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), 3551 Roger Brooke Drive, JBSA Ft Sam Houston, TX 78234-4504.
Mil Med. 2017 Mar;182(S1):137-146. doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-16-00175.
Assess the prevalence of self-identified unmet service needs in a military sample an average of 5 years following noncombat traumatic brain injury (TBI). Examine relationships between unmet needs and background, injury-related and outcome variables.
The study sample consisted of 89 veterans and service members who sustained non-combat TBI between 1999 and 2003, selected from enrollees in the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center TBI registry. Semistructured telephone interview was used to collect information about participants' self-reported unmet service needs, symptoms, and functional status.
Most participants (65%) reported having at least one unmet service need. The most prevalent needs were "getting information about available post-TBI services" (47%) and "improving memory and attention" (45%). Unmet needs were associated with cognitive difficulties, physical and emotional symptoms, mental health diagnosis/treatment, and poorer functional status.
Needs for services following TBI are associated with poor symptomatic and functional outcomes and may persist for years after injury in military service members and veterans. The study suggests service members' needs post TBI for improved cognition, support for emotional issues, and resources for vocational skills. Information about available services should be made accessible to those recovering from TBI to reduce the incidence of long-term unmet needs.
评估军事样本中在非战斗性创伤性脑损伤（TBI）平均5年后自我认定的未满足服务需求的患病率。研究未满足需求与背景、损伤相关变量及结果变量之间的关系。
研究样本包括1999年至2003年间遭受非战斗性TBI的89名退伍军人和现役军人，从国防和退伍军人脑损伤中心TBI登记处的登记人员中选取。采用半结构化电话访谈收集有关参与者自我报告的未满足服务需求、症状和功能状态的信息。
大多数参与者（65%）报告至少有一项未满足的服务需求。最普遍的需求是“获取有关TBI后可用服务的信息”（47%）和“改善记忆力和注意力”（45%）。未满足的需求与认知困难、身体和情绪症状、心理健康诊断/治疗以及较差的功能状态相关。
TBI后的服务需求与不良的症状和功能结果相关，并且在军人和退伍军人受伤后可能持续数年。该研究表明，军人TBI后需要改善认知、获得情感问题支持以及职业技能资源。应向TBI康复者提供有关可用服务的信息，以减少长期未满足需求的发生率。
